New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Since I arrived here at New Vrindaban Dham almost 3 months ago, it seems I have done nothing but eat prasadam day and night. I have crashed countless “home programs”, and eaten with a lusty voracious appetite, pigged out on Birthday cake & ice cream at numerous birthday parties, and while stuffing my face, had to ask, “whose birthday is it anyway,” learned how to have a late night snack from the walk in cooler, and get the Maha prasadam from the pujari room. And I owe it all to my dear friend ** das Prabhu.

One day as I was kidding him about taking maha prasadam before anyone else got a chance to try it out. He replied, “The first thing you need to learn if you want to survive at New Vrindaban is to be shameless.”

So I replied, “Be shameless? Thanks, I will work on it, Prabhu.”

Thus I received the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna in the form of a Godbrother’s instruction on taking Prasdam.

Since meeting ** das, who was also the first brijabasi I met on the day I arrived here, I have become a shameless beggar in so many ways: I beg the mercy of my fellow vaisnavas, I beg the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, Lord Nityananda, Radha Vrindaban Chandra, and Prahlada Maharaja. I am begging to the Holy Name to just chant one time without offense. I am begging each day to please be engaged in some small service that will benefit the community at large. And all my shameless begging is paying off. I am still here and I am happy.

I wish to thank all the Vaisnava devotees who have fed this poor beggar, given me their causeless mercy and wonderful association, and have made me feel so welcome.

And it’s OK if you forget to invite me to the next home program, I will see you there anyway.

Hari Bol.

Signed: The Shameless Beggar